Winding mechanism for self-winding electric clocks.



y No. 842,971.

H, WQ PORTER. WINDING MBGHANISM BOR SELF WINDING E LBGTRIC CLOCKS. A APPLIOATION rILEp SEPT. 4, 190e.

- 'F51 .f1 A

@l @fg PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

ATION. v- K- ,iwlNDlNG MECHANISM FOR anism for Self-Winding Electric Clocks, of' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvementsin winding mechanism for self-winding4 electric clocks; and the objects of my improvement are simplicity of construction and -efficiency in operation, particularly as to the Contact mechanism: i Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken-out elevation Of my'winding mechanismand so much of a clock as is necessary f lto show its connection therewith, the con tact-making devices being' shown in the osi'- tion they have immediately after rewin ing. Fig. 2 is a corresponding elevation, on an ene larged'scale, of the contact-makin devices in the reverse position-that is, w en contact has been made to connect the circuit for rewinding. Fig. 3' va sectional plan-of the -inain parts of Fig. 1 on the line Fig?l 41's an enlarged sectionalview ofthe insulated binding-post and a portion of the plate to which it is connected. section, partly broken away, showing a modiied form of winding mechanism, the scale being th'e same as that of Figs. 2.and 3., o

A and B designatethe movement-plates-of' l. a clockemovement, which may be-of i 3 5 any o ,rdinary construction` C is an electromagnet, and the armature.'`

The main Shafrsthat is, tha-Shaft to.

which the winding mechanism is applied'-`- may be mounted in any ordinary manner for rotating and driving the clock-train. The j main Wieel 9is mounted dn the said 'shaft`8` to rotate therewith., As shown, the two ends of the shaft 8 are supportedv by the-two movement-plates, 'Upon this shaft is a sleeve which constitutes .Y thel spring hub '1 0 and has formed thereon or'rigidly secured ,thereto aratchet wheel or disk 11' at one end" Specification of Letters Patent.` Application tiled September 4, 1906i Serial No. `333370.

fin Ordinary" clockwinding.

Fig. 5 is a trar'isverse.v

y UNTE) STATES PATENT. OFFICE. 'HENRY w. PORTER, or ivo-Ronsrviiinn, CONNECTICUT, AssiGNORTo NEW HAVEN CLOCK COMPANY, or NEW HAVEN,

CONNECTICUT, A' CORPORA- SELFr-WIND'ING ELECTRIC CLOCKS.

Patente@ Feb. 5,1907.

and av plate or arm 12 at the other end, while the oscillating. arm 7 is rigidly attached toits mid'dleportion in the plane of the frictionvroller 6 of the armature' arm or. lever. A

bridge 13 is rigidly attached to the move-"-v inent-plateA, "and the spring-hub 10 passesl .through the said. bridge, asshown in Fig. 3,

" .theghodyv ofl .the bridge through which the` spring-hub'passes beingfar'enough from the platefor arm 12 on the end of they-said hub'to make roonifor an ordinary coiledspring 14 between them'. f The 'inner end of the spring Ais secured by a hook or pin V15 to the spring?4 hub, while its outer end'is secured by a pin 1,6 tothe bridge 13j, afterthe usual mannerof connecting such springs.v `i'kfpfawl 1:7 is piv-f otedo-nthe main wheelQ osition to'en A64age the ratchet wheell or =dis A11:the pawl beingactuated in the direction to engage the said by a spring j33,- allsubstantially as' y' 'Theparts thus fardescribedof themselves arel not of my invention, and any ordinary mechanism Aor mechanisms mayy be. substi-v tuted therefor as an equivalentv or equivalents'.

and plate or arm 12, which is directly con-i' nected with lthe said hub. These parts have My, invention residesin the Contact i making devices and-the'combination thereof i 8o anpscillatingmovement, and the bracket 19 passes-throughl an opening.20 inthe movement-plate A, which Opening -isv made large enough to permit ofthe desired range of os.

cillating movement; A binding-post 21 is mounted on the plateor'disk 18 and insu? lated therefrom. `As shown, this bin'diiig-` .o

I ingmaterial, andthe screw23. .Itis-alsopro- 'post is secured by the bushing 2 2, of insulate vided'with a screw 24 for securing theretothe conductor orwire l25* for velectrical coiinec' `tion, while the movement-plate A is provided with abindingpost- Q' forthe other wire or `:conductor'27 Uponftlie binding-post 21 is 'IcodA ayielding'contactH- arm 28. Upon the plate i i or diska weighted arm 29is ivoted at 3'0 bef low tliecenter or a'Xisu-on which the said plate oscilla'tes.v i Upon that side of this arm which faces the yielding contact-arm 28 isy `a contact piece 31, which i preferably in the form-of a point standing at about a right angle to the length of the weighted arm.

When the plate or disk 18 isI in the wound up positiomas shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the weighted arm bears upon the stop 32, which prevents the arm from dropping back too far and which drives the arm forwardly as thev plate or disk 18 turns or moves in the' running down of the clock. The lower; end 'of the arm 7 moves forwardly toward the right as the clock runs and carries the top of the weighted arm toward the left with' the un winding of the spring 14. When the disk carries the weighted arm past its dead-center,` it immediately falls by gravityinto the position shown in Fig. 2. .The contact is first;`

made when the said arm and yielding contact-arm 28 are'inaposition nearly rparallel with each other, and the said arm yields to permit the weighted lever to move a little after making the contact to carrythe said weighted lever into the position shown in` Fig, 2 andpositively stop the said arm from moving further in' that direction. The bind# ing-post therefore serves the doublepfuuction of a connection for the .wire and a stop to limit the movement of the weighted arm inone direction.v Incoming into the .position shown in Fig. 2 the point 31 moves along with a'scraping or wiping action on the face of the .yielding contact-arm toward' the lower end of the saidarm; The momentum ofthe weighted armin-falling over into the position shown in Fig. 2 is sufficient to overcome the force or strength of the yielding arm and deflect it as shown. As soon as the weighted arm is thus thrown over to'make the contact the magnet and armature move the lever -andfrictionroller 6 towardY the left tobring the saidroller t-he positionishown in Fig. l2 to that shown in ,'.Figs 1 ando, the contact-piece -31 nrst wipes lche face of the yielding contact-armin the direction ofthe lengthof the said arm until the weighted and yielding arms are substantially parallel withi each other, andV then the contact is-brok'en at the upper end of the path thusk wiped. This actionl always keeps a clean-contact-face on the yielding arm 28be Y low thepoint of first contact and final separation, which surfacewill not be fouled by sparking.'

If desired, a weight may be employed ihstead of a spring. Suchv a modification is illustrated in Fig. 5, in which a weighted lerewound by lifting it higher up and then letting itf fall down againvwith the running of the clock,and so on repeatedly. L

I have herein Aused the word. "bindingpost in the broad sense of a connecting device forxone ofthe conductor-wires and not specifically `as to its postlike form. For convenience of distinction between the two contactssurfaces I havecalled one contact .an arm and the other. a piece These constitute' a pair of contacts. lThe arm 7 is an. oscillating armof' the winding sleeve or hub in both ofthe constructions shown.

It i-s appa-rentl that some changes from the specificconstruction herein disclosed may be made, andV thereforeiI do not wish to jbe understood as limiting myself to the precise form of' construction shown and described, but desire the liberty to make such changes in working my invention as may fairly come within the spirit and scope ofthe same.

I claim as my invention-d `1. In a selfewinding electric clock, the combination ofI an oscillating arm of the winding mechanism with an oscillating plate moving with the said arm, a weighted arm pivoted on. the said plate below its axis of oscillation, an insulated binding-post mounted' on the said plate and carrying the other one of the contacts, and stops for limiting the y swinging movement of the said weighted arm-on the said oscillating plate.

In a self-winding electric clock, the combination of an oscillating arm of' the winding mechanism with an oscillating plate. moving withv the saidarm, a weighted arm pivoted bv itslower end tothe said pl ate; a contactvpiece in the form of a point projecting from the said arm near its pivoted end, animsulated binding-'post mounted on thesaid-plate and carrying ayielding contact-arm for be'- -ing engaged b v the said contact-piece, and

stops for limiting the movement of the said weighted arm on the said oscillating plate;

3. ln a self-winding electric clock, the combination of-` a main wheel andvv shaft `mounted IIO Jufo-rotate together, a winding-hub, a ratchet and pawl for connecting the said hubL and wheel for moving forwardly together and vpermitting an independent backward move*- pivoted on the said plate and adapted. to fall ove'r'nhen the said plate reaches a given po? ries the Weighted arniintoa position to flall sition, a` pairof contacts mounted on the vover and vbring the -contacts into engage- 'said 'plate and insulated ,1`r0m. each otherl ment. lwhen out of contact, and electrically-open I HENRY W. PORTER. ated deviesv connected with the.' said ooni Witnesses: taots for moving the said Winding-hub baek- I JAMES SHEPARD, Y Wardly when the said oscillatingplate C ar- SHEFFIELD H.YCLARKE. 

